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NRES 409 – Fisheries Ecology and Conservation

• August 2020 • Hours: 4 ug/g • Lecture: Monday, Wednesday & Friday from 11:00 am to 11:50 am (Online via Zoom) • Discussion period: Wednesday from 12:00 pm (noon) to 12:50 pm (Online via Zoom) • Course content (handouts, assignments, etc.) will be managed through Compass 2g

(https://compass2g.illinois.edu/webapps/login/) Instructor Information • Instructor: Dr. Cory Suski, Professor, NRES • Office: W401C Turner Hall • Phone: 217-244-2237 • Email: suski@illinois.edu • Student Hours: At the moment, I’m not planning to schedule regular, open sessions to meet with

students. However, I am happy to arrange a time to meet with you if needed, so please email me. If the need arises, I’m willing to establish a regular student meeting session, likely with the use of software intended for this purpose, so please do not hesitate to ask if this would be helpful.

• Preferred Method of Contact: Email • Response time: I should respond to your email in less than 24 hours – often sooner. Please note

that (a) my schedule sometimes can get busy and I may bump up against the 24 hour mark, and (b) emails to me in the evenings or on weekends might not be returned until the following working day.

Course Description & Overview This course will provide an overview to the structure and functioning of freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems, and acquaint students with the basic biology and field techniques required to successfully manage fish populations. In addition, this course will expose students to a number of challenges facing aquatic ecosystems, and will provide an opportunity to discuss activities, approaches and strategies that can be used to solve these challenges. While many examples and scenarios discussed will be based on local/regional issues, the course will emphasize a global perspective to aquatic conservation issues and how regional differences in problems and solutions exist. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of using sound science to generate successful management strategies. Course Information • Prerequisites: NRES 348 • Required Text: Ecology and Conservation of Fishes

− Author: Harold M. Tyus (ISBN: 978-1-4398-5854-7) • Supplemental material:

− Fish conservation: a guide to understanding and restoring global aquatic biodiversity and fishery resources (Helfman) – relevant chapters to be available electronically soon.

− Methods for Fish Biology (Schreck and Moyle). Call number 597.0072 M566. Available electronically at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021507390

− Inland Fisheries Management in North America, 2nd Edition (Kohler & Hubert). Call number 639.21097 In5 1999. Available electronically at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822016467748

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− Inland Fisheries Management in North America, 3rd Edition (Hubert & Quist). Call number 639.21097 In5 2010. Available electronically at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.31822028198265

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the course, students will acquire knowledge of (1) the primary biological/environmental forces responsible for the health and functioning of fisheries populations, (2) the ways in which human activities can both help and harm fish populations, and (3) the processes and steps required to solve applied fisheries management problems. This knowledge will be obtained through a combination of lectures, self-directed learning, case studies, group learning and exposure to a range of ‘real-life’ conservation scenarios. To accomplish these goals, students will:

− Generate a synthesis paper that incorporates a range of different class concepts and ideas related to fisheries ecology, conservation and management

− Instruct their peers on a topic of applied fisheries techniques − Participate in a debate/role-playing exercise involving a ‘real world’ fisheries conservation

scenario Expectations of Students

During this course, it is expected that students will come to class on time, having completed assigned readings and relevant quizzes in advance, and be prepared to engage in course content for the full class time. Students are expected to participate in class activities in ways that support course learning objectives, demonstrate respect and civility toward all other students and instructors, and take an active role in obtaining information and resources for completion of tasks and assignments in the course, ultimately promoting their own learning. Wherever possible, students should contribute feedback to support the instructor in achieving course goals and inform the instructor if they are having a problem understanding presented material. Students are also expected to complete assigned tasks by the announced deadlines and adhere to the content of this syllabus. Finally, students should refrain from using cell phones in class. Students’ Expectations of Instructor

During this course, the instructor is expected to begin and end class on time, make the best possible use of class time to support student learning, answer questions promptly and sufficiently, and be available to provide additional assistance when needed. The instructor will always provide clear and consistent criteria that can be used fairly in evaluating student learning, will welcome input on ways to improve the course and will support the achievement of course learning objectives. Feedback (in the form of grading of papers and exams) should be provided to students in a prompt, timely fashion and lecture notes will be made available on the class website prior to class. Teaching and Learning Strategies • Learning of concepts and techniques in this course will occur through five different means:

− Lectures: the primary way that students will be exposed to new concepts and ideas is through lectures by the instructor. Lectures will be based on the required course text book, as well as additional supplementary literature. Where possible, effort will be made to share the source of any primary literature incorporated into lectures.

− Discussion periods and case studies: Discussion periods will allow students to interact with each other and share detailed information about applied topics in fisheries science. For several concepts and ideas, students will be presented with data sets, hypothetical examples or small

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role-playing activities to help reinforce class materials. Students will work through these case studies in small groups.

− Group exercise: At the end of the semester there will be a 1.5-hour role-playing exercise on a current topic or case study in fisheries science. Students will be divided into different stakeholder groups, and the different groups will discuss the topic at hand from different perspectives. This activity will allow students to both apply course content, and experience a ‘real world’ problem from a stakeholder point of view. Additional details will be provided in class, and the rubric for this exercise is available on the class Compass site.

− Written assignments: Students will be required to complete 2 (two) essay assignments on a topic of their choice. The purpose of these assignments is to synthesize a broad range of concepts and ideas (fish biology, environmental constraints, activities of humans etc.), and improve written communications skills in working to address a current topic in fisheries science. The rubrics for these assignments are available on the class Compass site.

− Exams: There will be three exams for this course – two mid-semester exams and a final exam. All exams will be cumulative, so students will be required to know all earlier material for each exam. Exams and assignments will be based on a comprehensive understanding and integration of multiple concepts and ideas – not the memorization of facts and figures. Exams will serve to provide students with a means to identify topics and skills they have not yet mastered, and to motivate students to engage course material.

− Online quizzes: During the semester there will be 5 online quizzes based on readings and lecture content. The first 4 of these 5 quizzes will consist of 5 multiple choice/matching questions; these first 4 quizzes are NOT cumulative, and will be based on the assigned readings and lecture content that was covered since the preceding quiz. The final quiz will require answers that are a few sentences, and is based on a management scenario. These quizzes are intended to ensure that students are engaged with material, and will provide feedback to the instructor on learning. Quizzes are due at 10:59 am – immediately prior to the start of class.

Expected time investment During this course, my expectations for your time are as follows:

Component Approximate time investment per week Attend all lectures and discussion sessions 4

Required readings for each lecture and quizzes 1.5 Writing of papers 1.5

Individual presentation 0.5 Group presentation 0.5

Tentative Lecture Topics and Schedule Note that the dates for lecture topics are subject to change, but the dates of exams, due dates for papers and other ‘important dates’ will not vary.

Date Day Lecture or Discussion Title Readings Deadline

Aug 24 M Lecture Introduction

Aug 26 W Lecture Fisheries & management Tyus, Ch. 1

Aug 26 W Discussion Prepare for presentations

Aug 28 F Lecture Fish Tyus, Ch. 2,20

Aug 31 M Lecture Water & living in water Tyus, Ch. 3

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Sept 2 W Discussion Prepare for group exercise & discuss assignments

Sept 2 W Lecture Prepare for group exercise & discuss assignments

Sept 4 F Lecture Aquatic ecosystem components Tyus, Ch. 9 Quiz 1

Sept 7 M Labor Day – No Class

Sept 9 W Lecture Aquatic ecosystem structure Tyus, Ch. 22

Sept 9 W Discussion (1) Hydroacoustics, (2) Safety

Sept 11 F Lecture Bioenergetics Tyus, Ch. 21

Sept 14 M Lecture Foraging and Feeding Tyus, Ch. 25

Sept 16 W Lecture Growth & ageing 1 of 2 Tyus, Ch. 23

Sept 16 W Discussion (3) Visual observations, (4) Planning for sampling

Sept 18 F Lecture Growth & ageing 2 of 2 Tyus, Ch. 23

Sept 21 M Lecture Competition and Patch Use Tyus, Ch. 25 Quiz 2

Sept 23 W Discussion (5) Fish handling & care, (6) Health & well-being

Sept 23 W Case study & group discussion (Found under ‘Case Studies’ file on Compass) Case 8 - Pike

Sept 25 F Lecture Time to meet with group for carp activity

Sept 28 M Lecture Life history strategies and reproduction Tyus, Ch. 26

Sept 30 W Exam # 1 (Paper # 1 Due) Paper 1

Oct 2 F Lecture Recruitment & population dynamics 1 of 2 Tyus, Ch. 26,28

Oct 5 M Lecture Recruitment & population dynamics 2 of 2 Tyus, Ch. 26, 28

Oct 7 W Lecture Ecosystem Management Hubert & Quist 13

Oct 7 W Discussion (7) Macroinvertebrates, (8) Macrophytes

Oct 9 F Lecture Angler Motivations

Oct 12 M Lecture Management & regulations 1 of 2 Kohler&Hubert Ch.2&5

Oct 14 W Case study & group discussion (Found under ‘Case Studies’ file on Compass) “Structural Indices 2016”

Oct 14 W Discussion (9) Capture techniques, (10) Otoliths

Oct 16 F Lecture Management & regulations 2 of 2 Kohler&Hubert Ch.2&5

Oct 19 M Lecture Stunting Links 1 and 2 Quiz 3

Oct 21 W Lecture Management of rivers & streams 1 of 2 Hubert & Quist 18-21

Oct 21 W Discussion (11) Tagging & marking, (12) Habitat restoration

Oct 23 F Lecture Management of rivers & streams 2 of 2 Hubert & Quist 18-21

Oct 26 M Lecture Habitat & manipulations 1 of 2 Kohler&HubertCh.9-12

Oct 28 W Lecture Habitat & manipulations 2 of 2 Kohler&HubertCh.9-12

Oct 28 W Discussion (13) Electroshocking, (14) Toxicants

Oct 30 F Lecture Mgmt of reservoirs, lakes & impoundments Hubert&Quist 15, 16, 17

Nov 2 M Case study & group discussion Case_22 – Slot length

Nov 4 W Exam # 2

Nov 6 F Lecture Time for Group Exercise

Citations and planning

document for group exercise

due Nov 9 M Lecture Stocking & hatcheries Kohler & Hubert Ch.14

Nov 11 W Lecture Marine Fisheries

Nov 11 W Discussion (15) Sampling recreational creel, (16) Fish kills

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Nov 13 F Lecture Invasive and threatened species Helfman Chapter 4

Nov 16 M Lecture Dams and barriers Helfman Chapter 6 Quiz 4

Nov 18 W Lecture Aquaculture Helfman Chapter 14

Nov 18 W Discussion (17) Human dimensions, (18) Commercial fisheries

Nov 20 F Lecture Protected areas

Nov 23 M

Thanksgiving Break

Nov 25 W

Nov 25 W

Nov 27 F

Nov 30 M Lecture (19) Diet & energy, (20) Age & growth

Dec 2 W Group Exercise

Dec 4 F Lecture Climate change

Dec 7 M (21) Genetic tools & techniques, (22) Diet & energy flow Quiz 5

Dec 9 W Presentations: (23) Age & growth, (24) Eggs & larvae; Case study & group discussion; Presentation self-assessment due; group exercise peer & self-

evaluation due; final paper due; review session “4 Tables”

Self assessment,

group evaluation, final paper

FINAL: Monday December 14, 1:30 – 4:30 pm

As of July 27, 2020, the final exam is scheduled to be held on Monday December 14th from 1:30-4:30 pm. The course-specific exam schedule will be posted in early-October and will include the exam location. Students are asked to regularly check the scheduling guidelines to ensure this exam date has not been changed by the University.

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Evaluation Methods & Weighting

Component Proportion of Final Grade Midterm # 1 10 % Midterm # 2 15 % Presentation 10 %

Group Exercise 10 % Online quizzes 5 %

Paper # 1 5% Final Paper 20 % Final Exam 25 %

Total 100 % Grading rubrics for the papers and assignments will be available on Compass at the beginning of the class. The content of the exams will be cumulative – the final exam will cover all material for the entire year. Course Policies • Student grades will be based on the above course components ONLY. Extra-curricular activities

(work, sports, applying for jobs), special requirements (you have to get an A to graduate, need a certain grade to maintain a scholarship, need to maintain certain GPA to graduate, etc.) or requirements of future career plans (graduate or professional schools) will not influence ANY grade in this course.

• Your grade will be based, without exception, on the following scale:

A + 97 to 100% A 93 to 96.9% A - 90 to 92.9% B + 87 to 89.9% B 83 to 86.9% B - 80 to 82.9% C + 77 to 79.9% C 73 to 76.9% C - 70 to 72.9% D + 67 to 69.9% D 63 to 66.9% D - 60 to 62.9% F < 59.9%

• Attending class is expected, but will not be monitored. Should students need to miss a class, they

are encouraged to (1) complete readings of supplementary materials provided in the syllabus or

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within the lecture notes, and/or (2) borrow class notes from a classmate to become familiar with material discussed in class. Following the completion of these two steps, students are encouraged to discuss materials with the instructor (particularly during office hours) if uncertainty exists regarding content. Notes provided by the instructor on Compass are meant to supplement classroom activities, and not replace learning and discussion during lectures.

• Lecture notes and copies of lecture slides will be provided on Compass as PDF handouts. Copies of individual PowerPoint slides, or handouts consisting of individual PowerPoint slides of lecture material, will not be made available to students.

• Should you notice early in the semester that you have a conflict with an exam (i.e., field trip, other), please inform the instructor as early as possible. In situations of known (anticipated) exam conflicts, options related to grades will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Options may include changing the timing of the exam (i.e., write the exam early), or altering the weighting of other assignments in the class. It is expected that known conflicts be supported with a note from another professor (or similar) to verify the conflict.

• Plan to arrive early for all exams in this course. It is the student’s responsibility to be sure that the day of the exam will not conflict with other activities. If you arrive to an exam more than 30 minutes late, or after the first person completes the exam (whichever comes first), you will not be allowed to take the exam and will receive a score of 0 (zero). Excuses that are within a student's control (e.g., not enough time to study, semester has been busy, car wouldn't start, job interview, alarm clock did not work, did not wake up early, traffic was terrible, bus was late, etc.) will not be accepted. It is the student’s responsibility to anticipate and avoid these potential issues.

• The policy for missed exams will follow guidelines provided by the Student Code and the Office of the Dean of Students (Student Assistance Center). Briefly, excused absences from exams will be granted only for reasons outlined in the Student Code (e.g., illness of 3 days or longer, illness of family member etc.), and only upon timely receipt of an absence letter from the Office of the Dean of Students (Student Assistance Center) (received less than 10 days following the student’s return to class). Following receipt of a letter from the Office of the Dean of Students in support of the absence, discussions can begin related to grades and grading for the excused exam. Decisions on how to accommodate excused exams will vary on a case-by-case basis and may include writing the exam at a different time, providing an alternate assignment, or adjusting the weighting of other components of the class.

• Exams that are missed for reasons other than those listed in the Student Code (i.e., personal business, travel, employment, weddings, sporting event, forgot about exam, car wouldn’t start, bus was late, semester has been busy, lack of preparation, not feeling well, concert, hoping for extra time to study, etc.) will be handled on a case-by-case basis with the instructor. Missing an exam without an absence letter from the Office of the Dean of Students will most likely to result in a grade of zero (0) for that exam.

• It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that assignments are handed in at or before the due dates listed above. Assignments received after the due date will be considered late unless they are accompanied by a letter from the Office of the Dean of Students (Student Assistance Center), generated no later than 10 days after due date of assignment and are in agreement with conditions listed in the Student Code (e.g., illness of 3 days or longer, illness of family member etc.). Following the timely receipt of an absence letter from the Office of the Dean of Students in support of the missed deadline (within 10 days of the student’s return to class), discussions can begin related to grades and grading for the late assignment. Decisions on how to accommodate the late assignment will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and may include an extension of the due date, providing an alternate assignment, adjusting the weighting of other components of the class or a

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grade penalty. Excuses for a late assignment that are within the student’s control (ran out of toner in printer, hard drive crashed and lost file(s), computer was stolen, couldn’t find parking, semester has been busy, several other things due at the same time, memory stick/thumb drive/flash drive broke, need a bit more time, bus was late, not feeling well, it was windy outside) will not be accepted and it is the student’s responsibility to avoid these potential issues. Late assignments will be charged a penalty of 15 % per day.

• Late quizzes will receive a score of zero. • Missing the due date for an online quiz will result in a grade of zero (0) for that quiz. • Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of online (cloud) storage space to prevent loss

of files due to human or technical errors. The University provides online (cloud) storage through Box (https://uofi.account.box.com/login), but other options such as Google Drive, iCloud, Drop Box exist and should be explored.

• Please confirm that any assignments uploaded to Compass are complete, and that the intended version/file has been uploaded. Grades will be provided based exclusively on the file(s) that are uploaded, and it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the proper file is uploaded and that the file contains the proper information. If there is an error made with uploading (i.e., incorrect file has been uploaded by mistake), changes can only be made prior to the deadline for the assignment, ideally by email with the instructor.

• Content covered during student presentations can (and likely will) appear as part of exam questions. If you are unable to attend a student presentation and therefore did not obtain a copy of the handout provided, please work wither with the instructor, or with the student that presented, to obtain this handout.

• Individual questions on exams and/or sections of student papers will not be re-graded if a student feels they have been graded unfairly; rather the entire essay, exam or assignment with a disputed grade will be re-assessed by the instructor, and the second grade will be deemed final, regardless of its value. Class time will be devoted to discussing and reviewing assignments/exams, and so students are asked to refrain from disputing grades until after the exam/assignment has been reviewed in class.

• Please show up on time for class. Late arrivals can be disruptive to ongoing lectures. • For assignments that require handouts to be provided to the class, students are responsible for

generating and distributing these documents (not the instructor). • Please refrain from using cell phones in class. • You are encouraged to ask questions at any time during class, and feel free to contact me by email

outside of class with your questions. Academic Integrity The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. Students should pay particular attention to Article 1, Part 4: Academic Integrity. Read the Code at the following URL: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/. Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity. Students with Disabilities

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To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) as soon as possible. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603 (V/TDD), or e-mail a message to mailto:disability@uiuc.edu. http://www.disability.illinois.edu/. Emergency Response Recommendations Emergency response recommendations can be found at the following website: http://police.illinois.edu/emergency-preparedness/. I encourage you to review this website and the campus building floor plans website within the first 10 days of class. http://police.illinois.edu/emergency-preparedness/building-emergency-action-plans/. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Any student who has suppressed their directory information pursuant to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) should self-identify to the instructor to ensure protection of the privacy of their attendance in this course. See https://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-records/ferpa/ for more information on FERPA. Sexual Misconduct Policy and Reporting The University of Illinois is committed to combating sexual misconduct. Faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct to the University’s Title IX and Disability Office. In turn, an individual with the Title IX and Disability Office will provide information about rights and options, including accommodations, support services, the campus disciplinary process, and law enforcement options. A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors, confidential advisors, and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here: https://wecare.illinois.edu/resources/students/#confidential. Other information about resources and reporting is available here: https://wecare.illinois.edu/.

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